celebrare After it came to signifie the whole form of publick prayer which the Greeks called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we our Liturgy Lastly it was most strictly taken for the administration of the Eucharist whereunto the Converts unbaptized the Catechumeni the Penitents the Energumeni were not admitted but dismissed and commanded to depart For when the celebration of those mysteries began the Deacon stood up and said a loud to those Ite missa est Now let it be taken in which of these senses you will there can be no great harm in the name Masse being a suffix to these dayes For it is not intended that thereby men should meet on these dayes or any other to say Masse i. e. to offer a propiatory sacrifice for the quick and dead But onely that they should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meet and convene in Gods house that there they should have the glad tydings which the Angels proclaimed to the Shepherds hodie natus est vobis that they should praise God for it and pray that as he was born for them so he may be given to them Of which the Sacrament being a signe and a seal they there met together to be partakers of it This is all that to a good intelligent Christian the Masse can import and if any be other minded they may be easily informed and then I see not what scandal can be taken at the name of Christ-Masse And I am sure much lesse at the Feast For if ever God bestowed a blessing upon the world it was his Sonne and the flesh of the Sonne of God is the Channel in which it flows to us This flesh he took at his birth his birth day then is worth remembrance that then we performe opus diei in die suo and the opus diei is that we be glad and rejoyce in it Never fear there is no Judaisme in it then I am certain in this you cannot imitate for they are enemies to his name enemies to his birth enemies to his day they if they could would expunge his memory out of the hearts of Christians out of the Calender joyne not with this perverse and obstinate generation I shall set before you a more noble example to imitate the first Martyrs the first Confessours the first Fathers of the Church for these worthies kept this day to them it was a holy no working day on that day they did feast not scorn and revile Telesphorus celebrated it in the Romane Church but it is so ancient Caranza in vita Telesp and of so general observance in the Church that Zanchy confesseth he knowes not when it began No Council instituted it that we know of and therefore by Austins rule it should be ab Apostolis traditum That it was a very ancient and universal Feast of the whole Church appears by that Sermon of Cyprian and he lived divers years before the Nicene Council which he preached upon the day Cypr. Sermo de nativitate Domini which he begins with these words Adest Christi multum desiderata expectata nativitas Adest solemnitas inclyta in praesentia salvatoris grates laudes visitatori suo per orbem terrarum sancta reddit Ecclesia Whence it is evident that it was a solemn universal Feast in his time kept with thanks with praise and after him there is so frequent mention of it in all the Fathers and their Sermons as of Basil Nazianzene Chrysostome Leo and who not extant preached on the day in honour of Christ and his birth day that it were to light a Candle to the Sunne to produce them Other men may follow what new lights they please but I shall desire to be guided by these old Lamps in this practise of praise and thankfulnesse I know there is no superstition no imitation of Judaisme in it It is a Christian a laudable a pious a profitable duty and 't is no feare of a shadow shall drive me from it 2. And so having accompted for this particular Festival I come to answer for our Church holy-dayes in general Christ is both the Authour and Finisher of our Redemption which work before it could be consummated the purchase must be made applyed proclaimed That he might be apt to lay down the price he must be made man conceived of the Holy Ghost born of a woman a Virgin born under the Law of which he gave an evidence when he was circumcised the eighth day presented in the Temple at his Mothers purification and baptized by John in Jordan This shewed that he took upon him the form of a servant and humbled himself But he thought himself not low enough till he humbled himself to the death even that bloody shameful painful accursed death of the Crosse upon which he was crucified upon which he dyed and was afterward buried By all this the purchase was fully made and the ransome fully paid Consummatum est But it must be applyed also and conveyed to us or we are nere the better To effect this he rose again for our justification he ascended into heaven to make intercession and prepare a place for us he sent down his Spirit to make all sure And that all this might be made known published and proclaimed he gave some to be Apostles some to be Evangelists these to write the whole story and those to attest it publish it and apply it in their Epistles Now this is the original of our Festivals there being not one retained in our Church which is not to the honour of Christ to the memory of some Evangelist or Apostle The wisdome of the Church was such that she would not have so great benefits forgotten nor the purchase nor the application nor the proclamation Into the Creed they are all put but words are like wind they may quickly passe away The wise founders therefore of our Church and first planters of Religion set out a day for every Article that in the time to come when the children shall ask their fathers What meaneth these dayes these Festivals they should answer and say This day Christ was conceived this day he was born this day he was circumcised this day his Mother was purified this day he was baptized this day he was crucified and so laid down a ransome for us and so redeemed us that were all lost And that we might know that what he undertook he went through and hath conveyed unto us this day he arose from the grave this day he ascended to heaven this day he sent down his holy Spirit upon the Apostles who have proclaimed and published so much to the world and with their blood sealed the testimony to be true All this was the work of the whole Trinity for the Father he gave the Sonne he was given and the Holy Ghost filled him full of grace for this work And that so great benefits might never slip out of our minds these dayes are set apart for commemoration for praise for thanksgiving for imitation Men
c. or as it is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that may be about the same thing It puts me to stand what you can collect from hence that may serve your turn Gather you may that the whole Church at that time was small or so many as could conveniently meet together in one place or that they met about one and the same service but that there was a precept here given that those which met together must be combined in a Church Covenant is a collection out of your own brain Before your Combination was heard of the Church met together in Synods Provincial National Oecumenical men met together in one place to serve God and therefore the meeting together in one place will never be inconsistent with Scripture precepts But in case these two places should prove infirme you have thought upon your Optiones your seconds to undertake the Combate 3. Seconded and aggravated by its notorious inconformity to the Scripture patterns SEconds commonly are men more skilful at their weapons then the prime Combatants and so then should these Scriptures be of more evidence to prove what you intend that the National corporation is inconsistent with these Scripture and no way conformable to the Scripture patterns which are as you alledge Ephes 2.19 22. Philip. 2.15 Revel 5.9 Where the Combinational Church is called not a whole Nation but a holy City a growing Temple spiritual House or a sinne-enlightning and soul-saving Church gathered built framed culled and called out of and from a carnal and crooked Nation which was both dark and darknesse it self witnesse what is written Ephes 5.8 These places of Scripture I have reviewed and I do not finde one syllable of the Combinational Church in any of them Alchymists who professe themselves skilful to extract gold out of a pibble may perhaps light upon some such thing but this passeth my art There was a man who was wont to stand upon a Key at Athens and every ship that approached the Harbour he judged to be his own The like you do by Scripture and every Text where you can but meet with the name of Christs Church presently you conceit it makes for your Combinational had not your head runne this way you would never have alledged these In that Chapter to the Ephesians 't is the Apostles purpose to shew that the partition betwixt Jew and Gentile was by Christ taken down He was laid in the foundation for the cornerstone and both Nations built and united in him unto one Church so that both by him in one Spirit had accesse to the Father The Gentiles were no more strangers and Forreiners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God built upon the foundation Jesus Christ being the corner stone in whom the whole building fitly framed together growes into a holy Temple The end was as you cite Philip. 2.15 That they should be blamelesse and harmlesse and the sonnes of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation among whom ye shine as lights in the world And these were they Rev. 5.9 who were redeemed by Christs blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and Nation But what could not all this be effected but within your Combination No fellow-Citizens of the Saints none blamelesse and harmlesse and sons of God none redeemed by Christs blood but those within your Church Covenant What Arrogance is this what Papisme what Doâ—â—isme all other are notorious Inconformists without the lists of Christs Church by your rule a carnal a crooked Nation darknesse it self and how then can they ever hope for salvation Fye fye give over this peevish singularity and since Christ hath redeemed by his blood some out of every kindred tongue people Nation let those whom he hath so freely and dearly bought be fellow Citizens with the Saints whether they be of your Combinational Church or not The consequence is very sad which may be drawn out of your own words and if I have forced them beyond your intention I am not altogether too blame in it since it may move you hereafter to look that words which may be construed to an uncharitable sense fall not from you But yet that I may be more particular in my answer The Apostle here describes to us the Catholick Church and not any particular in the judgment of all interpreters under the similitudes of a City a Temple a House a City which is governed by the same Laws under one King a Temple consecrated to the same God and sanctified by the same Spirit a house in which the domesticks are all under one and the same father of the family The Citizens of this City the Worshippers in this Temple the children servants and attendants in this house and family are both Jews and Gentiles The time was when it was not so for the Gentiles were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aliens and strangers no free denizons of this City but now they are enfranchized and made fellow-Citizens of the Saints they were not a people but now are admitted for his people but now admitted into his Temple with his people to offer praise and prayers unto him nay which is yet more are themselves living stones of this Temple they were afar off but now are come so near that he acknowledges them for sonnes and houshold servants This City is so ample this Temple so spatious this house so great that it takes in both the Saints triumphing in heaven and that part also of this Corporation yet Militant on Earth of what Nation soever This being the full scope of the Apostle here I wonder that you should put such a restraint upon his words as to limit them to your Combinations 't is overmuch boldnesse in any part to usurp and appropriate that to it self which belongs to the whole A holy City this is called you say not a Nation true 't is so here yet in Saint Peter 1 Pet. 2.9 this holy City is a holy Nation which shews there is no strength in your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that the same Church which is a City in one Apostle is a Nation in the other and then out of the one I shall as easily prove a National Church as you out of the other shall prove a Combinational A City it was and who were the Citizens Jews and Gentiles that is evident in the chapter now say if you can without blushing that such a multitude of all kindreds languages nations people could combine and meet together in one place which is one of the ingredients of your Combination if Amesius says true Farther yet had it been only of the Ephesians that St. Paul had spoken this had been no convincing argument that he spoke of a Combinational Church For that the Ephesians were a people and Ephesus the Metropolis of that people which did impart her priviledges to all those in Asia the lesse who were under her jurisdiction A City at that
Baal Joshua 5. c. howbeit they remained the sheep of his flock in the depth of their disobedience and those very children they offered unto Moloch were his sonnes and his daughters born to him Jer. 13.11 Ezek. 16.20 Hic children because born within the Covenant of which they yet retained the seal Let it be shewed that ever the child of any wicked Jew was uncircumcised or therefore not admitted to be circumcised because his father was wicked And certainly there is so much strength in the instance of circumcision Josh 5. for this large right of Ordinances from Covenant relation that it will hold out against all that can be said against it 3. Those who have a right to the Covenant have also a right to the seal But Christian children have a right to the Covenant therefore a right to the seal The Major is manifest in reason for it were a strange thing to say a man had right to Land and yet had no right to the evidences and the seals of the Writings by which that Land was conveyed over unto him Minor probatur But Christian children have a right to the Covenant be the Parents never so ungracious Gen. 17.7 Ishmael circumcised and Esau Acts 2.38 To you and to your seed among whom were Ananias Sapphyra Simon Magus But thus I prove it yet more clearly Those who are holy have a right to the Covenant 1 Cor. 7.14 This is granted But children of Believing Parents are holy Therefore c. You can in this Minor except only at two terms beleeving and holy and I shall justifie both For perhaps you may say Idolatours profane persons are no beleevers but you are mistaken for in the number of beleevers they are to be accompted till they renounce their faith The denomination of a beleever is as well derived from a right object beleeved as from the holinesse of the subject beleeving And I have my ground for this out of the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.14 Where the unbeleeving husband is said to be sanctifyed by the beleeving wife where beleeving and unbeleeving and opposite terms and therefore as by unbeleeving you are to understand a 〈◊〉 by a beleeving wife you are to understand a Christian who might 〈◊〉 guilty for ought you know of some of those sinnes for which Saint Paul 〈◊〉 the Corinthians and yet because she was a Professour of Christianity and within the visible Church therefore he saith your children are holy 2. Holy which is the other terme which being not possibly to be understood of inherent holinesse because the child of the best Saint at his birth is no more holy than another there being an equal guilt of original sinne upon both must be understood of a relative holinesse that is as they who stand in relation to the Covenant into which they are actually admitted by Baptisme And then again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unclean are in Saint Peters sense Acts 10.14 the Gentiles such who might not be received into the Church and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy being such as are opposed to it must necessarily signifie those children who may be admitted Lastly if this were not the importance of that place there were no priviledge imaginable no sanctity which could be attributed to the infants of Christians which could not belong to the infants of Heathens which is affirmed of the one and denyed of the other by the Apostle Lastly They who by their iniquity lost not their right and priviledge in the Covenant cannot be the occasion that their children lose it But profane persons lose not their right as I proved before because notwithstanding their iniquity they remain still Members of the visible Church therefore there is no reason for their sakes their seed and children should lose their right Divers other reasons I could give you for this did I not study brevity Our application then of Baptisme to the children of profane persons is not groundlesse but hath its foundation in that gracious Covenant that God made with Abraham and his seed which was extended to the whole Church of Christ whither invisible or visible which last because it takes in all professours as well as believers their seed also no less then the other as they have a right to the Covenant so also have they a right to the seals of the Covenant may be baptized and admitted to the Lords Supper whatever you think to the contrary To Baptisme you would have no children of profane persons admitted supposing they have lost their priviledge and to the Supper of the Lord none but his faithful friends and followers For thus you say 2. If none but Christs faithful friends and followers were admitted to be fed and physick'd at his Supper Feast The Reply That all who come to be fed and physick'd at the Lords Supper were Christs faithful friends and followers is as much desired by us as can be by you and as much endeavoured by us as can be by you Why is it else that the Church hath prefixed those several exhortations before the Communion in which the negligent are checked and excited to their duty the presumptuous scandalous and obstinate sinners presented with their danger and punishment if they approach unworthily in their sinnes all that come exhorted to judge themselves to repent them truly of their sinnes past and amend their lives To have a lively and stedfast faith in Christ our Saviour to be in perfect charity with all men and above all things to give humble and hearty thanks to God the Father the Sonne and Holy Ghost for the redemption of the world by the death and passion of his Sonne and for the institution and ordination of the holy mysteries What rules can you give beyond these or what cautions can you prescribe that if observed can make men worthy communicants All this you will easily grant but of all this you will have a certain knowledge before you admit of any and that knowledge shall be grounded upon their conjunction with your Combinational Church and the Covenant then entred not with the Covenant God made with Abraham So that uncharitably you exclude all those who have right unto the seal by the tenour of Gods Covenant except he have a new acquired right arising from your Covenant also These I know you mean by Christs faithful friends and followers and none but these your practice shews you would have admitted That then the mists may be dispelled and the mistakes rectifyed that have prevailed too farre about the admission to and exclusion from the Lords Table necessary it is that we distinguish between the right which any man hath to this seale and the use that a man may make of his right and how he may be debarred of it 1. The right that any man hath to this or any other Ordinance of God ariseth out of the Covenant of God made with Abraham and his seed Mr. Humphryes that is with the visible Church so that
Mystery there is an Indument and a stripping Rom. 13.14 Gal. 3.27 which the ancient Church reduced to two words Credo Abrenuncio In the first there is the putting on of the Lord Jesus Christ For as many as are baptized have put on Christ First as Lord acknowledging no other Master whose voice to hear whose doctrine to rely upon but onely his Secondly as Jesus assuring themselves that there is no other Name given under heaven whereby they may be saved Thirdly As Christ as well their anointed King submitting themselves to his will giving their names in to fight under his banner and swearing themselves his subjects As also their anointed Priest resting in his one sacrifice as the onely sufficient in his sole intercession as the onely powerful Secondly In the Abrenuncio or stripping part they renounce and forsake the Devil Gal. 5.20 and all his works the pompes and vanities of the wicked world the sinful lusts of the flesh among which are all Heresies and Schismes 2. For the forme it is by our Saviour appointed in the name of the three persons of the indivisible Trinity and so it is performed neither of Cephas the sirnamed Rock nor of Paul a great Apostle Mat. 28.19 1 Cor. 1.13 The reason wherof you may read in my exposition of the Church Catechisme page 172 173. 3. For the end they which are baptized are thereby made the sonnes of God by Adoption and Grace invested with an inheritance everlasting Gal. 3.26 Rev. 1.5 Mal. 1.11 Rom. 12.1 Col. 3.5 made Priests to God to offer and slay To offer that mundâ—m oblationem pure offering or living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is their reasonable service viz. the cleane and unbloody sacrifice of prayers and thanksgiving and then to slay themselves mortifying their affections and lusts Yea but men may be minded of all this by a new Covenant and upon a second engagement made more watchful to keep their first vow Be it so for this also the Church had provided without this separating combination when she ordained that all baptized children when they could say their Catechism should be brought to the Bishop to be Confirmed which order were it in use and restored to its original purity the wrangle about the formality of a Church Covenant and collecting of members might be quieted and composed There being in Confirmation the substance of what is so much and so hotly contended for and that farre better grounded and bottomed than any new device can be as I shew you in my Catechisme page 6. Thirdly This Elogy you give to your Combinational Church that it is their opinion and practice quietly and cordially to subject their earthy erring and unruly wit to the heavenly infallible and uncontrolable will of Christ That so it should be I confesse and desire but how it is we see and feele ever since the Combination But what now is this but an opinion and onely commendable I thought it had been necessary de fide that it must be so and could not be otherwise For Opino is eutis vel non eâ—tis You shall have it in Amesius words Assensus ille qui praebetur veritati contingenti propter rationem pracipuè probabilem ab intellectu apprehensam Medulla 1. Thes de fidei divina unitate opinio vocatur The truth must be contingent and probable onely of which a man retaines an opinion it may be it may not be if no other reason can be produced for it but a Topical But that all men must subject their earthy will to the heavenly Will of Christ is so certain that it cannot be denyed by any good Christian Hereafter let it passe then for necessary and let it be a principle of faith which is more than opinion 2. But you go on and say This hath been the commendable practice of your Combinational Church But here you must give me leave to think for if I would say what I know I should fetch blood and perhaps pay for it too Your Combination was for the worship of God and that cultus naturalis institutus Amesius so divides it the principles of the first are faith hope charity the acts hearing of the Word and Prayer under which is an Oath Of the last Gods prescribed Will or his Word This is the Rule but what 's become of the practice I will not meddle with your faith which yet you know in many of your Combinational Churches is not sound nor in the Socinians nor Antimonians nor in the Brownists Familists nor the Anabaptists nor the Quakers nor the Singers These you le say are not of you but are gone out from you yet you cannot deny that these are Combinational Churches The practice then of all the Combinational Churches is not commendable in Gods worship in this respect Your hope may be great but I fear it may be presumption when the foundation of faith upon which it should be built is so uncertain and tottering As for the charity of your party in general I finde it dying rather â—uite dead charity teacheth a man to love his neighbour as himself charity to be just and to do to all men as he would all men do to him Amongst your Combinational Churches what 's become of this charity this justice Religiously observant a man may find divers of you of three of the Commandments of the first Table but of the third your practice shews you make little accompt and as for the second Table he who shall lay to heart your actions must needs conceive that you esteeme it but for a cypher I will no farther rake into this wound I wish you had not given me occaâ— on to do it when you affirmed that it was the commendable practice of your Combinational Church to subject their earthy erring and unruly will quietly and cordially to the heavenly infallible and uncontrolable will of Christ to which I finde their practice so contrary I pray presse me not for instances for I am resolved not to give theâ— you but if you are desirous to be satisfied of the opinions and practice of the Combinational Church I aime at be pleased to reade a book written by Robert Baily a Scot entitled A Disswasive from the Errours of the times Printed in London 1645. and published by Authority Where he makes a large Narrative of the opinions and practices of your Churches in New-England and whether he sayes true or no you can best judge because you were upon the place If true all is not gold that glisters 2 A Presbyterial Church THis is your other Epithet and I suppose you mean by it a Church to be governed by Presbyters The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is equivocal and therefore till it be distinguished nothing can be concluded from it 1. Presbyter in the Old Testament properly belongs to the Elders of the people either in a common notion or as members of the Sanhedrim not any body or persons peculiarly
Levites that served the Priests 1 Chron. 24.18 31. ch 25.26 ch 27. The Musicians also were divided into as many and the Dore-keepers There were also of every course that served the King twenty four thousand Seeing then the whole Congregation of Levi and the people that served the King were divided by twenty four it might be a shadow and type of that number who were made Kings and Priests unto God to serve Christ under that number the whole people under this the whole company of the redeemed are contain'd Couper 3. And Couper saith the same that under this number the whole Church both Militant and Triumphant is contain'd though he make his allusion otherwise for he divides the twenty four into two halfs the first he makes to consist of the twelve Patriarchs from whon descended the Jews the other of the twelve Apostles who converted the Gentiles the Elders then of both Nations that is the professours in both were about the throne and he proves this sense out of the fifth Chapter Ver. 9. where the twenty foure Elders fell down before the Lamb Rev. 5.8.9 having harâ—s in their hands and they â—ang a new song saying Thou art worthy O Lord. For thou wast slain and thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and Nation 10. and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests c. Beza 4. Beza conceives these Elders to be Prophets and Apostles Summus judex saith he comitatu honorificentissimo instructus Prophetarum Apostolorum tum veteris tum novae Ecclesiae Greg. lib. 4 in reg 1. ch 9. 5. Gregory expounds this of the Preachers of Gods holy Word being graves moribus sensu maturi 6. But most interpret this of the Saints departed out of this world Bullinger Traberâ—n Marlorat and now reigning with the Lord Jesus in heaven Indeed their number is without number chap. 7.9 But the set and certain number is put for the full and compleat number of the Saints under the Law and under the Gospel discending I say from the twelve Patriarchs or begotten by the twelve Apostles The Jewes and Gentiles with their twenty foure Elders are to sit upon twenty four seats cloathed with white rayment having on their heads crowns of gold I leave it now to your choice which sense to follow and it is evident if you will follow any of them that your Ruling Elders can never be fetch'd out of any of these Among the company I confesse they are in the Church Militant or Triumphant because they are professours but in a districtive notion to call them Elders and prove them so from these three texts is toto errare caelo that I say no worse Conclusio Parainetica All this while you have bestowed your labour in the building and erecting a Presbyterial or Combinational Church and having set it up as you supposed you have call'd me to view your goodly fabrique I with heed looked upon it searched into the foundation and considered the walls and columns and at last judg'd that it could not stand because the foundation was laid in the sand and the pillars and supporters over-weak the materials you have dugge out of your own fancy not out of the true Rock and cemented them together with mortar of your own making Whether this be so or not I leave it to them to judge who shall sadly weigh those stones you have collected and brought out of the quarry of Gods book to set out this your work You in the Acts finde an Election by the Church of Deacons will it thence follow that all future Elections for Presbyters must necessarily proceed by and from their votes and voices or that such Election is of the necessary constitution of a Church the Apostles to avoid an imputation that might be laid upon them in medling with many matters and that they might attend more seriously a greater businesse suffered it to be then so done and is it a good consequent that therefore it must be alwayes done Paul and Barnabas ordained Elders in every Church can any man thence rationally conclude that the Presbyters and Teaching and Ruling Elders must be of the Combinational Churches Regular Ordination What were Paul and Barnabas of the people or were they the Combinational Church A twisted cord will never draw and knit the premises and the conclusions together The Apostle to the Romans to the Corinthians gives a large Catalogue of the gifts and graces of the Spirit and must there therefore be so many functions in the Church He speaks of governments must they be of necessity in the hands of such governours as you suppose In the Revelation he mentions twenty foure Elders and will you thence deduce that they must be necessarily such Elders as you fancy in your brains Had all or any of these texts inforced your conclusions a wonder it is to me that none of the ancient fathers none of the reformed Churches a Barrow Cann Robinson Johnson Syons Prerogative voted by Bayly page 35. 36. Vide etiam eundem p. 104. 105 108 109 c. Bayly page 53 54 55. for you set them all by as well as the Church of Old England in this your device should out of these Mines digge such stones for the building In labours they were indefatigable for piety exemplar in judgment acute for learning very eminent in defence of Religion couragious great talents and measures of the Spirit they no question received content they were to hazard all life limbs goods preferments as many at this day do for the truth and can it be conceived that the Spirit of our good God would suffer them all to be blinded or hood-winked in this necessary of Church-government till you arose It is not yet full twenty six years since Robinson the first perswader of this way arrived at Plymouth in New England from him Mr. Cotton took it up and transmitted it thence to Mr. Thomas Goodwin who helped in this our land to propagate it you see then your Discipline hath not yet the third part of the full age of a man 'T is so youthful that as yet the beard is not well grown and will you then say that all parochial cathedral provincial national oecumenical Churches are degenerated from it you must adorne it with more gray haires and make it Apostolical which you can never do before any man will believe you Your indeavours I have frustrated by restoring the Scriptures you produce to their genuine sense about which I have not relyed wholly upon my own private spirit but upon the judgment of the learnedst gravest and most pious Divines new and old indeed upon the concurrent judgment of the whole Church Tantum veritati obstrâ—pit adulter sensus Tertullian quantum corruptor stilus And indeed I am possessed with such fear when I am to interpret the Word of God lest I should say thus saith the Lord when he